The Trauma Response - 9780393701234

The phrases "shell-shock" and "post-traumatic stress disorder" have been in the vernacular for decades; still, we do not have a comprehensive understanding of trauma. This book proposes the groundbreaking concept of "the trauma response" as a reaction to emotional injury rather than as a course of illness.
Part One provides us with a thorough background in trauma. The authors include several trauma questionnaires that are invaluable for assessing trauma. These inventories are more than mere laundry lists of possible stressors - they are designed instead to illuminate and identify the degree and kind of trauma suffered, as perceived by the victim. This is an important element in their model: Trauma is a result of the complex relationship between an event and a person's perception of and reaction to that event.
The heart of the authors' concept of trauma and method of treatment is presented in Part Two, which deals with the trauma recovery cycle. This model demonstrates that healing begins soon after shock ends and describes how this process can be facilitated. The authors explain how traditional modes of therapy need to be altered to suit the specific needs of trauma victims.
In Part Three we are introduced to different aspects of trauma: hidden trauma, assessment and treatment of trauma in children and adolescents, and trauma involving the family. These special systems require differing methods of treatment.
The last two chapters deal with these problems and offer advice to professionals about how to guide clients through the workers' compensation and legal systems while avoiding retraumatization.
The strength of this book lies in its applicability to many different kinds of trauma. And, while it is intended primarily for therapists, caretakers in other fields will find its concepts accessible and its treatment strategies useful. By redefining trauma as a natural and individual response to an event, the authors have removed the shame, fear, and mystery that surround it.